2015-03-28T00:50:07ZA qualitative study of the experiences of gatekeeping among PhD counselor educatorshttp://hdl.handle.net/1957/55380
A qualitative study of the experiences of gatekeeping among PhD counselor educators
Erbes, Carol A.
The purpose of this study was to examine the gatekeeping experiences of a group of PhD counselor educators, by utilizing a phenomenological approach. This design was chosen as it could best examine the lived experiences of the participants. Nine PhD counselor educators participated in this study through a series of two interviews. All of the participants had a general definition of gatekeeping and all were able to express clearly how important the process was in ensuring as much as possible that only qualified students enter their programs, graduate from their programs, and enter the field as effective counselors. Each participant also shared several what they called "horror stories" of students they had worked with and the issues involved, as well as what the results of their gatekeeping efforts were. It was in these stories that some of the challenges, frustrations, and stresses of gatekeeping emerged. Some of the challenges involved non-supportive departments, the difficulty of being able to actually quantify impairment issues, having to decide if the student would be able to mature and improve over time in the program, and what to do with students who grades are good or adequate but whose skill levels are not. These challenges, frustrations and stressors where greatly mitigated, though, by supportive departments and colleagues. The stories of the participants in this study provided some important details and "color" about what it is like to be a PhD counselor educator, to be ultimately responsible for ensuring that only qualified, effective counseling students leave their program and enter the counseling field. The challenges, rewards, and ultimately the satisfaction of playing a role in the development of future counselors are clearly seen.
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2013-01-01T00:00:00ZFrom uncertainty to bugs : inferring defects in software systems with static analysis, statistical methods, and probabilistic graphical modelshttp://hdl.handle.net/1957/55379
From uncertainty to bugs : inferring defects in software systems with static analysis, statistical methods, and probabilistic graphical models
Kremenek, Theodore
This thesis shows how probabilistic graphical models may be applied in conjunction with static program analysis to automatically uncover software errors in large, complex, real-world systems. In particular, we show how probabilistic graphical models can be employed to tackle two critical problems in software bug-finding: (1) suppressing false error reports (false positives) emitted by bug-finding tools that arise due to analysis imprecision and (2) the automatic extraction of program-specific specifications directly from programs. For the first problem, we present two algorithms based on the use of statistical reasoning and Bayesian networks that are highly effective at suppressing false positives. Both algorithms are applicable to tools that check a variety of program properties, and we observe that they very often improve the effective precision of a bug-finding tool to the point where false positives have little or no practical impact on the tool's user. For the second problem, we present a generic framework for specification inference built on the use of factor graphs and static program analysis. A key feature of the framework is that it cleanly fuses together seemingly disparate sources of information that are each indicative or suggestive of a program's specification. This includes information gleamed both from program semantics (obtained via program analysis) and program syntax. To our knowledge, this is the only specification inference technique that is able to combine arbitrary sources of information in this way, thus potentially gleaming far more information from a program than otherwise possible. We illustrate the technique's power by inferring resource management specifications in several large open-source projects; the specifications inferred are highly accurate, and led to the discovery of many serious bugs that are highly system-specific.
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2009-01-01T00:00:00ZRelations among risk for metabolic syndrome, social ecological factors, nutrition, and physical activity in underserved youthhttp://hdl.handle.net/1957/55378
Relations among risk for metabolic syndrome, social ecological factors, nutrition, and physical activity in underserved youth
Lawman, Hannah G.
The high rate of obesity in youth contributes to the rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, particularly in underserved adolescents (low income, minorities) who show an increased risk for chronic disease. The present study integrated social cognitive theory and family systems theory within a bioecological framework to examine key social contextual influences on diet and physical activity (PA) in youth who are at high risk for chronic disease (diabetes, metabolic syndrome). Previous literature has supported the evaluation of social contextual variables, including parenting factors, and home and neighborhood influences, in understanding health behaviors. However, there is a dearth of literature on underserved populations, and little research examines these relations in adolescents at high risk for developing chronic diseases. The current study expanded on previous literature by examining the impact of individual factors including metabolic risk and self-efficacy, as well as family and environmental influences on diet and PA. Furthermore, the current study was novel in conducting exploratory analyses on metabolic risk for type 2 diabetes as a moderator of social contextual variables and health behaviors to better understand the onset of chronic disease. It was hypothesized that positive social contextual factors (e.g., fewer barriers, more support) would show positive relations with diet (i.e., fruit, vegetable, and reduced fat intake) and PA (light PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA) in minority and low-income adolescents. Social contextual variables included youth-reported relapse prevention self-efficacy, parent-reported parental limit-setting and monitoring, parental support, home PA resources, neighborhood supports for PA, and geographic information systems estimates of proximity to food markets and establishments. Moderation analyses with social-contextual variables and health behaviors (diet and PA) were explored with two directional hypotheses: a) that relations would be stronger in youth at higher risk such that they are more receptive to social contextual influences due to increased awareness, or b) that relations would be weaker such that further disease progression outweighs any potential social contextual benefits. Results of regression analyses showed no significant predictors of moderate-to-vigorous PA (F(9,191)=1.88, R² = .08) but showed significant effects of parental ([beta] = .16) and neighborhood support ([beta] = .14) on light PA (F(9,191)=2.91, R² = .12). Results also showed self-efficacy ([beta] = -.27) was significantly associated with lower fat intake and limit-setting ([beta] = .22) was significantly associated with higher fat intake. No significant effects were found for fruit and vegetable consumption (F(9,191)=2.21, R² = .10). Exploratory results indicated that youth at higher metabolic risk showed weaker relations between positive social contextual variables and health behaviors. The current study emphasizes the importance of taking an ecological approach to understanding health behaviors in adolescents, particularly those at highest risk for developing chronic diseases including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life. Furthermore, results can be used to inform the development of more effective interventions to prevent the onset of chronic disease in underserved youth and more accurate early identification of those at greatest risk.
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2013-01-01T00:00:00ZGenetic and environmental control of steviol glycoside biosynthesis in Stevia rebaudianahttp://hdl.handle.net/1957/55377
Genetic and environmental control of steviol glycoside biosynthesis in Stevia rebaudiana
Evans, Jennifer Marie
Stevia rebaudiana (stevia) is gaining agricultural importance due to its natural production of non-caloric steviol glycosides, which can be extracted and incorporated into natural, zero-calorie sweeteners. Of the several steviol glycosides produced by stevia, those produced in the largest concentrations, such as rebaudioside A, are often criticized by consumers as having a bitter aftertaste. Other glycosides, such as rebaudioside D, are reported to have a superior flavor profile, but are produced in much smaller concentrations. The environmental and genetic control of steviol glycoside synthesis is poorly understood. The objectives of this research were: 1) to determine how daily light integral (DLI) influences glycoside concentrations and relative proportions, particularly for rebaudioside D and 2) to elucidate the genetic control of rebaudioside D synthesis from rebaudioside A. DLI influenced both glycoside concentration and relative proportion in a glycoside-specific manner. Using traditional breeding, populations were created via controlled crosses where parents varied in the percentage of rebaudioside D calculated from the total of rebaudiosides A and D. The production of rebaudioside D appears to be regulated by a single dominant gene controlling the presence/absence of the precursor compound, rebaudioside A. Some of the individual populations in this study exhibited correlations unique to each population regarding traits of interest, demonstrating the variability in stevia. Future breeding efforts could harness this variability in addition to knowledge of precursor glycoside content as a resource to improve future stevia lines.
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2014-01-01T00:00:00Z